Snowboarding has become an increasingly popular alternative to alpine snow skiing. Snowboards are typically about 150 cm (5 ft.) long by 30 cm (1 ft.) wide and have a pair of boot bindings mounted to their upper surfaces. The snowboard includes a core typically made of, for example, different woods such as poplar, suma and aspen, various synthetic materials such as polyurethane, or a combination of natural and artificial materials. The core is typically encased within a composite material, such as fiberglass fibers within an epoxy matrix.
As the sport of snowboarding has matured, snowboarders have expanded their repertoire performing some amazing feats with their snowboards. One type of movement involves spinning the snowboard about a generally vertical axis.